Child Safe &
Wellbeing
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
National Child Protection Week - 1st - 7th September
This week is dedicated to helping students understand their rights and the importance of feeling safe and supported at school. The focus for this week is 'Every Conversation Matters'. The focus for learning in our school will include sharing and discussing the child-friendly version of our school's Child Safe and Wellbeing Policy, which is designed to ensure that our school is a safe, friendly, and welcoming place for everyone. Students will learn about the standards of behavior they can expect from adults and what to do if they ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe. We want every student to know that they have the right to be treated with respect, kindness, and fairness by all adults.
During Child Protection Week, we will also be launching a new school-based initiative to support students in accessing the Kids Helpline directly from school. Kids Helpline provides confidential support and advice whenever students need someone to talk to. Our goal is to empower students with the knowledge and tools to seek help when they need it and to reinforce that their safety and wellbeing are our top priorities. We will share more with families about this in the coming weeks.
Peta Overbury and Jen Gulavin
Child Safe Champions
Championing Neurodiversity: Helping Your Child Thrive in a Neurotypical World
Monday 19 August | 7pm AEST
Life for a neurodivergent child is a journey of highs and lows, marked by the joy of mastering new skills and the challenges of setbacks. As their parent or teacher, your support is crucial.
Educators, parents, and carers of children who are diagnosed as neurodivergent, are undergoing assessment, or are suspected to be neurodivergent are invited to join us for Championing Neurodiversity. This empowering webinar is designed to equip you with practical insights and strategies to help children with autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent conditions flourish.
Dr. Justin Coulson will help you:
- Celebrate the unique strengths of your neurodivergent child
- Support your child’s individual needs
- Provide better behavioral and emotional support
- Improve communication and social skills
- Build resilience in your neurodivergent child
- Encourage collaboration and advocacy
Whether you’re a parent or teacher, this webinar will provide the knowledge, encouragement, and community support needed to help neurodivergent children thrive in a neurotypical world. Join us to make a positive impact on their lives, helping them grow, succeed, and find joy in their journey.
Link for St Thomas the Apostle
PASSWORD: happystacps
*Note that the link will only work if you are already signed into your school’s page
Update to our Child Safe & Wellbeing Policy
At St Thomas the Apostle, Cranbourne East, we hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school. Our commitment is drawn from, and inherent to, the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ, with love, justice and the sanctity of each human person at the heart of the gospel. Our Mission is to provide a quality education in the Catholic tradition for the families in the local area.
The Child Safe and Wellbeing Policy is a comprehensive framework designed to ensure the safety, protection, and overall well-being of all children within our school. We recognize our fundamental responsibility to create and maintain an environment where every child feels secure, valued, and supported. This policy outlines our commitment to safeguarding children from harm, promoting their rights, and fostering a culture of respect and safety for all. In alignment with national and international standards, our policy provides clear guidelines and procedures for preventing and responding to any form of child abuse or neglect. It emphasises the importance of vigilance, accountability, and proactive measures to create a safe environment where children can thrive. This policy is integral to our mission and reflects our dedication to upholding the highest standards of child safety and well-being in all aspects of our work. Through this policy, we aim to empower staff, volunteers, and stakeholders with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect children and ensure their holistic development.
Please take the time to read through our Child Safe and Wellbeing Policy and providing your feedback by clicking on the attachments below.
We invite your feedback to this updated policy, your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Dear Families,
This week we launched our whole school approach to preventing bullying. This approach is underpinned by our Anti-Bullying Policy and is informed by research as to the best practise in this area.
Students have clarified their understanding on ‘What is bullying? What is by standing? And What is upstanding?
Our strategy to prevent bullying is helping our students understand that each one of them are central to building the right culture in their school. We want our students to understand that they have the POWER to be upstanders for themselves and for others. Being an upstander isn’t always about challenging a person in the moment, sometimes it is quietly getting help from an adult, changing the subject, or letting someone know how they feel. We want our students to be skilled with these strategies so they can navigate social challenges at school and in their future lives.
For the next few weeks we will share with you some information about each of the strategies the students are being taught to help create a culture of upstanding.
P in POWER starts for: Protocol. Protocol means list of rules, procedures or expectations. At STAPS our whole school expectations include Safety, Respect and Learning.
We also have a ‘Consequence Cycle’ where students receive consequences if they are not showing our whole school expectations. Sometimes this includes; missing play time, calling parents, talks with teachers & principals.
Using the Protocol strategy, a student might say;- ‘That’s not showing safety, respect, or learning.’- ‘Mr or Ms _____ told us not to do that.’- ‘You might end up with a playtime consequence.’- ‘What you’re doing is against the rules.’
As part of their learning, students are shown role plays where they can see students using the strategy. They are also presented with hypothetical situations where they can discuss how they could respond using the Protocol strategy.
Next week we will share some more information about the O in POWER: Outside Help.
Upcoming Parent Webinar
Our STAPS Staff
Keeping safe around our school
To all Parents, Guardians and Carers,
Teaching road safety to our children is a life skill. Parents/Carers are encouraged to keep in mind the following tips to ensure that children stay safe when in the car and on the road as a pedestrian. Please practice road safety daily.
Teach your child about the safety door of your car – the door closest to the footpath in the backseat is the safest door that children should be entering and exiting out of. The traffic side is not safe to get out of, especially around a school precinct.
Go for walks with your children in your neighborhood and teach them about road rules and road safety while walking – practice safe places to cross the road.
Practice Stop, Look, Listen and Think at every crossing. Try walking to school, even if it is once a week and part the way is ok! This allows your child to familiarize themselves with school streets and safe places to cross the road.
Please do not park your vehicle at the St Thomas the Apostle Parish
eSafety
For all your eSafety needs, visit https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents